Animal cruelty charges, after 3 dogs die in vacated home

A man and woman from Syracuse are charged with animal cruelty after three dogs were found dead in a home they vacated.

Syracuse Police say they were called to 111 Seward Street (off Lodi, on the North Side). The residence was vacant, and the previous tenants had left their dogs inside.

Investigators say 30-year-old Timothy Stevens commonly left two dogs in the basement, where two animals were found. 24-year-old Wanda Trumble, also charged, told police that Stevens had told her he'd turned the third dog over to the SPCA, when in fact he did not.

Stevens is being held at the Onondaga County Justice Center, as he had an active warrant for an unrelated offence. Trumble was released on an appearance ticket. Both are charged with Failure to Provide Proper Sustenance, an animal cruelty offense.